Recent years have seen extensive growth in the use of the floppy disk as a medium for storing data, information, programs and the like. In the case of personal computers, most often the information stored on a disk takes the form of a number of documents or programs each having a name and perhaps, a subname taking the form "name.subname" where the name is limited to eight alphanumeric symbols and the subname is limited to three alphanumeric symbols.
Naturally, by mere visual inspection of a disk, it is not possible to ascertain the identity of the various items of information recorded thereon. Accordingly, floppy disks are generally provided with a plurality of stick-on labels which are made of paper and a self-adhesive material on one side. The purpose of these labels is to provide a surface for writing notations respecting the file or program contents of a disk and to be adhered directly to the disk. Typically one takes one of these labels and adheres it to the floppy disk and then annotates the label with the various file or program names. As this information changes, the label may be marked up further, until ultimately, there is no room left on the label. At this point, the user takes a new label, adheres it over the old label or on another place on the floppy disk and continues the process. This process suffers a number of obvious and unobvious inadequacies.
Firstly, the labels are generally adhered to the disk prior to being written on. Accordingly, they must by written on by hand as floppy disks are not, at the present time, capable of being put through a typewriter without a serious likelihood of damage to the information stored thereon. Because handwriting is often illegible, the contents of the disk may not be legible to later users of the disk.
In addition to the problem of illegibility of handwriting, there also exits the problem that the application of numerous stickers to a disk will cause it to have an unsightedly appearance, present an obstruction to placing the disk in its drive and, indeed, finally to clutter the file in which the disks are stored.
Furthermore, disks are very often damaged when they are written on. Ball point pen, pencils and roller ball markers are particularly likely to damage disks. Felt tip markers are preferred for marking a label which is already adhered to a disk.
Finally, labels have limited area and, in practice, there is seldom more than enough room to enter the name of the disk and the date on which it is made. This, combined with the fact that the operator may become impatient and careless with the time necessary for writing on a disk, often results in abbreviated and unrecognizable notes on disks. One solution to this problem is to instruct the computer to print out a directory of disk file/program information on a separate piece of paper which is then cut and folded to fit inside the envelope within which the floppy disk is normally contained. While this approach does solve the problem of complete and legible descriptions which are made with a minimum of operator effort, it introduces a serious bulk problem in filing of floppy disks and introduces the possibility that a directory may fall from an envelope and become associated with the wrong disk. Obviously, this could result in loss of valuable data or programming.